Chair



Oct. 31, 1967 G. E. SCHAEFER CHAIR Filed Sept. 9, 1966 United States Patent HAIR ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination chair and stool, the back rest cushion having an upper portion turning rearwardly and downwardly defining the stool, with the chair seat being narrow to increase stability.

This invention relates to a chair and more particularly to a chair provided with a sit down level seat and an upper stool level seat.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a new and improved chair.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a seat structure useful as a chair or as a stool.

Other objects will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention.

FIG. 2. is a side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view; and

FIG. 5 is a rear view.

As shown in the drawings, the invention is embodied in a chair having a seat 10, legs 11, 12, and 13, a back member generally designated 14 and arms 15 and 16. The legs may be formed of rods with portions thereof combining to form a frame for the chair. Thus the single front leg 11 is formed of a rod which has a portion 17 bent horizontally as it extends under and is secured to the seat, and has a rear portion 18 which extends upwardly and is secured to the back 14.

The legs 12 and 13 are also formed of rods which have horizontal portions 19 extending in toward the seat portions 20 extending upwardly along the portion 18 of the front leg rod, and outwardly extending horizontal portions 21 which have forwardly extending ends 22 to support the arms and 16. The upwardly extending portions are secured, as by welding, to the portion 18 of the front leg rod to form a stable and rigid leg structure and chair frame. Thus, the chair framework comprises three shaped rods secured together by welding, each rod having a portion forming one of the chair legs.

The seat 10, which is shown in the form of a rectangular cushion, has a metal plate 23 (FIG. 4) fastened to its base member 24 and welded to the frame portion 17. Another metal plate 25 is welded to the upper end of the frame portion 18 and is fastened to a base member 26 of the chair back.

The back member 14 is shown in the form of a cushion having an upright portion forming a chair back 27 and a generally horizontal portion 28 forming a stool seat. The upper surface of the horizontal portion 28 slopes backwardly such that all the planes perpendicular to, and intersecting, this surface and perpendicular to a vertical plane containing leg member 11 (Le, perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 2) fall between the first leg member 11 and the rear leg members 12, 13.

The chair seat 10 is preferably rather narrow (as seen best in FIGS. 3 to 5) compared to the distance between the arms 15 and 16 and the distance between the legs 12 and 13, with the result that a relatively small moment arm between the front leg 11 and the chair edge is pro- 3,350,133 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 vided. Thus, the tendency of the chair to tip sideways is greatly reduced from what it would be if the seat filled the space between the arms and the front end thereof extended laterally to a greater extent from the front leg 11.

I claim:

1. A chair having, in combination, a frame comprising leg means, a seat supporting portion, and an upwardly extending back supporting portion, a chair seat on the seat supporting portion, an upright cushion secured to the upwardly extending back supporting portion and formed to provide a chair back, and an integral horizontal cushion at the upper end of the back supporting portion of the frame forming a stool seat.

2. A chair construction, comprising: a frame including leg means having front and rear floor engaging portions, a seat supporting portion, an upwardly extending back supporting portion, a chair seat on the seat supporting portion, upright back support means secured to said back supporting portion and thereby providing a chair back, and a generally horizontally extending second seat at the upper end of the back support means, said second seat extending rearwardly a substantial distance from said back support means and being located so that planes passing through the second seat, extending perpendicular to said second seat, and perpendicular to a vertical plane bisecting the chair seat and the back support, fall between said front and rear leg means, said second seat and said back support means together defining a generally inverted L configuration.

3. A chair construction as defined in claim 2, wherein the second seat is located so that one of said planes passing through said second seat bisects the second seat and is spaced a substantial distance from said rear leg portion toward said front leg portion.

4. A chair construction as defined in claim 2, wherein the chair seat is relatively narrow and of a width substantially less than said leg means, a pair of generally horizontally extending arms on said frame, said arms being spaced a substantially greater distance than the width of said chair seat.

5. A chair construction, comprising: a frame including leg means having front and rear floor engaging portions, a seat supporting portion, an upwardly extending back supporting portion, a chair seat on the seat supporting portion, upright back support means secured to said back supporting portion and thereby providing a chair back, and a generally horizontally extending second seat at the upper end of the back support means, said second seat extending rearwardly a substantial distance from said back support means and being located so that planes passing through the second seat, extending perpindicular to said second seat, and perpendicular to a vertical plane bisecting the chair seat and the back support means, fall between said front and rear leg means, said second seat and said back support means together defining a generally inverted L configuration, said frame means having a portion thereof extending up engaging the underside of said second seat for supporting said second seat, said second seat including a cushion.

6. A chair construction as defined in claim 5 wherein said leg means includes a single centrally located front leg and a pair of laterally spaced rear legs, said upright back support means including a cushion, said legs being formed of rods, the front leg rod having a horizontal portion extending under and supporting the seat and all three leg rods having portions extending upwardly from the rear of the seat to support the back, the rear leg rods having portions extending outwardly from upper ends of the back supporting portion to form arms.

7. A chair construction as defined in claim 2, wherein said leg means includes rearwardly sloping front leg means and forwardly sloping rear leg means, said back supporting portion sloping irearwardly from upper portions of said rear leg means, said upright back support means being parallel to said back supporting portion, said second seat being perpendicular to said back support means so that said second seat slopes downwardly from said back support means.

8. A chair having, in combination, a frame comprising a seat supporting portion, a single centrally located front leg, a pair of laterally spaced rear legs and an upwardly extending back supporting portion, a chair seat on the seat supporting portion, and a cushion secured to the upwardly extending back supporting portion and formed to provide a chair back, said legs being formed of rods, the front leg rod having a horizontal portion extending under and supporting the seat and all three leg rods having portions extending upwardly from the rear of the seat to support the back, the rear leg rods having portions extending outwardly from upper ends of the back supporting portions to form arms.

9. A chair having, in combination, a frame comprising a seat supportnig portion, a single centrally located front leg, a pair of laterally spaced rear legs and an upwardly extending back supporting portion, a chair seat on the seat supporting portion, a cushion secured to the upwardly extending back supporting portion fromed to provide a chair back, said legs being formed of rods, the front leg rod having a horizontal portion extending under and supporting the seat and all three leg rods having portions extending upwardly from the rear of the seat to support the back, and a stool seat cushion being supported on the top of the upwardlly extending back supporting portion of the front leg rod.

10. A chair having, in combination, a frame comprising a seat supporting portion, a single centrally located front leg, a pair of laterally spaced rear legs and an upwardly extending back supporting portion, a chair seat on the seat supporting portion, and a cushion secured to the upwardly extending back supporting portion and formed to provide a chair back, said chair back comprising an upright cushion and an integral horizontal cushion at the upper end of the upright cushion forming a stool seat.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 150,076 6/1948 Logan 297418 X D. 150,684 8/1948 Eames 297446 X D. 155,273 9/1949 Eames 297--445 X D. 183,009 6/1958 Mackintosh 297-418 X D. 183,478 9/1958 Cohen 297446 X 506,025 10/1893 Winter 297232 550,588 12/1895 Burr 297243 2,649,136 8/1953 Eames 297445 2,702,584 2/1955 Williams et al 297411 3,115,368 12/1963 Springer et al 297421 3,133,765 5/1964 Kramer 297445 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,209,751 9/ 1959 France. 1,267,168 6/1961 France.

FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CHAIR HAVING, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME COMPRISING LEG MEANS, A SEAT SUPPORTING PORTION, AND AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING BACK SUPPORTING PORTION, A CHAIR SEAT ON THE SEAT SUPPORTING PORTION, AN UPRIGHT CUSHION SECURED TO THE UPWARDLY EXTENDING BACK SUPPORTING PORTION AND FORMED TO PROVIDE A CHAIR BACK, AND AN INTEGRAL HORIZONTAL CUSHION AT THE UPPER END OF THE BACK SUPPORTING PORTION OF THE FRAME FORMING A STOOL SEAT. 